DUDAIM (du-da'im), (Heb. du-claw yine).
(1) This word, in its plural form. occurs only in two places of Scripture; first in Gen. xxx 16 : and secondly, in Cant. vii :13. In the passage it is mentioned several times: 'Reuben went out in the days of wheat harvest, and found dudaim (mandrakes) in the field and brought them home to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, give me of thy son's dudaim;' also in verse 16, it is said, 'And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me, for surely I have hired thee with my son's dudaini; and he lay with her that night.' (2) In the passage in Canticles we learn that these dudaim, or the plants which yielded them, gave out a peculiar odor : 'The ductal», (mandrakes) give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant plants.' From the above passages it is evident that the dudaim were collected in the fields, that they were fit for gathering in the wheat harvest in Mesopotamia, where the first occurrence took place; that they were found in Palestine; that they or the plants which yielded them diffused an odor.
From this it is manifest that there is little to guide us in determining what plant is alluded to at such early periods, especially as no similar name has been recognized in any of the cognate languages. Hence great diversities of opinion have been entertained respecting the plant and produce intended by the name dudaim. These Dr. Harris has thus summed up: 'Interpreters have wasted much time and pains in endeavoring to ascertain what is intended by the Hebrew word dudaim. Some translate it by "violet," others "lilies," "jasmins," "truffles or mushrooms:" and some think that the word means "flowers," or "fine flowers." Bochart, Calmet, and Sir Thomas Browne suppose the citron intended : Celsius is persuaded that it is the fruit of the late-tree; Hiller that cherries are spoken of ; and Ludolf maintains that it is the fruit which the Syrians call "mauz" (that is the plantain), resembling in figure and taste the Indian fig; but the generality of interpreters and commentators understand mandrakes, a species of melon, by 'duduim.' Here,
however, the author has confounded the melon cucuutis with the mandrake or mandra gora. adopted by the generality of authors. (3) Considering that the earliest translators have given mandragora and Yabrokhint as the synony mous names for dudann, and that the root and fruits of (drop(' mandragora have, from early times, been supposed to be possessed of the same properties which are ascribed to the dudaim, there does not appear to us any other plant, which has been vet adduced, better entitled than it to stand for the dudaim. But there does not exist sufficient collateral proof to confirm the selection by the Greek tranclatot of the man dragora as the dudaim, in preference to some other plants. which might be adduced, and to which similar properties have from ancient times been ascribed. J. F. R.
DUKE (dilk). This word is from the Latin dux, captain or leader,' from deco, 'to lead.' 1. It thus cmcsponds with tolerable exact ness to the Hebrew al-loof friend', from u/aph, to 'lead,' 'guide.' This word. alluph, is nsually rendered by 'prince' or 'chief :' hut by Yilke' in Gen. xxxvi:t5-3o, where we find 'dukes of Edom.' 2. Nes-eek' a prince, being anointed), dukes of Sihon I Josh. "properly vassals of Saint, princes created by the communication or pouring in of power" (K. and D., Coin., in loc.). It is rendered "princess" (Ps. lxxxiii:o; Ezek. xxxii:3o; Dan. xi:8) and principal men" I ic. v:5).